How  They  Do  It 


THE  SUCCESSFUL  FOREIGN 
WORK  METHODS  OF  SOME 
TYPICAL  CITY  ASSOCIATIONS 


How  They  Do  It 

THE  SUCCESSFUL  FOREIGN  WORK 
METHODS  OF  SOME  TYPICAL  ASSOCIATIONS 


Edited  by 

F.  J.  Nichols 


Foreign  Department 
International  Committee  of  Young 
Men’s  Christian  Associations 

124  East  Twenty-eighth  Street 
New  York 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 


How  They  Do  It .  3 

A  Program  for  Ale .  4 

Mr.  Messer  Answers  Some  Questions .  7 

How  the  Foreign  Work  Helps  the  Current 

Expense  Budget .  8 

How  Asheville  Started .  10 

How  Titusville  Secured  $2,000 .  11 

Ho  w  Erie  Promotes  Intercession .  12 

How  Dayton  Enlisted  the  Dormitory  Men.  .  .  14 

From  $700  to  $2,000  in  Brantford .  16 

How  Denver  Introduced  the  Foreign  Secre¬ 
tary  to  His  Constituency, .  17 

The  Brooklyn  Central  Plan .  19 

A  Foreign  Work  Exhibit .  23 

Mr.  Secretary,  Thou  Art  the  Man .  25 

Seven  Essentials  of  a  Local  Foreign  Work  De¬ 
partment  .  27 

Helpful  Foreign  Work  Literature .  28 


HOW  THEY  DO  IT 


“How  do  they  do  it?”  is  asked  more  often,  perhaps, 
than  any  other  of  the  many  questions  which  come  to 
the  Foreign  Work  office.  “How  They  Do  It”  is  a 
partial  answer  to  some  of  these  questions. 

During  the  past  three  years  many  principles  and 
methods  of  making  the  Foreign  Work  a  part  of  the 
regular  program  of  an  Association,  have  been  tested. 
Some  of  these  have  never  been  effective;  others  have 
never  failed  to  win  friends,  to  widen  the  horizon  and 
interest  of  the  membership,  to  enlist  intercessors,  and 
to  inspire  to  sacrificial  giving.  The  letters  here  printed 
make  these  successful  methods  available  for  all  Foreign 
Work  Committees,  and  especially  for  those  of  an  in¬ 
creasing  number  of  Associations  which  for  the  first 
time  are  assuming  a  definite  responsibility  in  the  world 
program  of  the  Brotherhood. 

These  letters  are  from  typical  Associations.  They 
were  written  originally  with  no  thought  that  they  would 
be  published.  They  describe  principles  and  plans  which 
have  been  successful  wherever  used,  regardless  of  the 
size  of  the  Association,  or  of  peculiar  conditions. 

The  Foreign  Work  office  will  gladly  give  additional 
information  about  these  and  other  points.  All  its 
facilities  and  staff  and  the  men  home  on  furlough  are 
at  the  service  of  the  Associations  to  work  out  and 
put  into  operation  a  Foreign  Work  program  which 
will  produce  larger  results. 

F.  J.  Nichols 

Home  Secretary,  Foreign  Department 

3 


A  PROGRAM  FOR  ALL 


Monday,  May  16,  1916,  furnished  the  average  North 
American  local  Young  Men’s  Christian  Association  a 
new  world  chart  by  which  to  steer.  On  that  day  the 
most  representative  delegated  convention  ever  assembled 
by  the  Associations  of  Canada  and  the  United  States, 
for  the  purposes  of  legislation,  voted  soberly  without 
dissent  to  accept  full  responsibility  for  a  big  stated 
program  of  service  to  foreign  lands  that  will  entail  the 
life  work  of  hundreds  of  our  ablest  men  and  the  outlay 
of  millions  of  dollars. 

This  noble  undertaking,  known  familiarly  as  the  For¬ 
eign  Work,  is  not  new,  being  in  fact  twenty-seven  years 
advanced,  but  its  status  was  changed  at  Cleveland.  The 
Philadelphia  Convention  majority  in  1889,  moved  by 
the  sense  of  unique  opportunity  more  than  by  obliga¬ 
tion,  cautiously  gave  the  International  Committee  a 
franchise  to  conduct  operations  abroad  at  its  own  risk. 
From  then  until  now  the  real  task  of  the  Committee  has 
been  at  home  rather  than  abroad.  Over  there  the  re¬ 
turns  from  the  beginning  have  been  out  of  all  propor¬ 
tion  to  the  investment.  Our  best  life  and  sacrificial 
gifts  have  been  matched  by  theirs. 

Requests,  even  demands,  for  expansion  from  the  re¬ 
sponsible  leaders  of  the  Church  on  the  field,  from 
officials,  business  men,  and  educators  grew  ever  more 
clamorous.  Here  eyes  were  holden,  ears  deaf,  hearts 
slow  to  believe,  wills  weak.  God  was  faithful  and 
patient.  Through  the  administrative  and  furloughed 

4 


foreign  secretaries,  He  called  out  here  a  layman  and 
there  an  employed  officer,  and  lifted  their  vision  until 
they  saw  the  world  as  Jesus  saw  it — geographical  boun¬ 
daries  and  distinctions  wiped  out;  until  they  had  His 
compassion  and  compulsion  for  all  unshepherded  souls 
harried  by  the  wolves  of  temptation ;  until  they  under¬ 
stood  that  whatever  of  good  Christ  has  for  a  man  him¬ 
self  or  for  his  nation,  being  the  rightful  possession  of 
all  nations  and  races,  eludes  those  who  deny  or  with¬ 
hold  it  from  any. 

The  growth  of  a  dependable  home  constituency  was 
slow.  After  twelve  years  it  maintained  a  foreign  staff 
of  fifteen  men,  an  accretion  averaging  only  slightly 
more  than  one  a  year.  The  adversaries  to  missions  are 
a  hardy  tribe.  Provincialism,  selfishness,  fear,  in¬ 
capacity,  inertia  lay  athwart  the  path,  but  they  lost  the 
battle  to  education,  sacrifice,  daring,  persistence,  and  a 
world  gospel.  The  example  of  the  pioneer  Associations 
and  individuals  that  in  faith  took  their  own  foreign 
representatives  persuaded  others  to  do  the  same.  Some 
broke  up  the  early  smaller  molds  of  $1 ,200  and  $2,000 
gifts.  In  1916  nine  cities  rose  to  the  $5,000  stand¬ 
ard,  ten  to  $10,000,  and  nine  gave  from  $20,000  to 
$90,000  each.  One  exceeded  $90,000.  A  few  realize 
the  ambition  to  give  more  abroad  than  for  local 
expenses. 

The  last  decade  has  seen  the  North  American  broth¬ 
erhood  turn  with  enthusiasm  to  our  thin,  red  line  of 
197  comrades  abroad,  leading  what  an  eminent  Church 
Board  secretary  has  described  as  “the  youngest  and 
most  brilliant  of  modern  missionary  enterprises.”  Even 
3ret  it  did  not  belong  to  the  whole  brotherhood.  The 
large  number  of  Associations  were  interested  spectators^ 
not  participants.  Last  year  sixty-five  per  cent,  of  the 

5 


Foreign  Work  contributions  for  all  purposes  came 
from  118  organized  points.  One  is  reminded  by  these 
figures  of  the  Master’s  lament,  “Were  not  ten  cleansed, 
but  where  are  the  nine?” 

The  Cleveland  declarations  have  teeth  in  them.  This 
one,  for  example,  puts  a  very  large  company  of  direc¬ 
tors  and  general  secretaries  on  the  defensive:  “The 
North  American  Associations  recognize  and  hereby  de¬ 
clare  that  the  obligation  for  the  Foreign  Work  program 
rests  primarily  upon  our  Associations,  and  that  each 
Association  annually,  through  its  board  of  directors, 
should  adopt  an  adequate  Foreign  Work  program.” 
The  great  fact  is,  the  majority  who  voted  knew  they 
convicted  themselves.  They  voted  aye  because  they  were 
Christians  and  saw  it  squared  with  the  Great  Commis¬ 
sion.  They  expected  to  go  home  and  square  their 
Associations  with  the  action  and  on  the  whole  they  will. 
The  Foreign  Work  is  no  longer  a  licensed  concession. 
It  is  a  government-owned  property. 

F.  T.  Colton 
Secretary,  Foreign  Department 


6 


MR.  MESSER  ANSWERS  SOME  QUESTIONS 

1.  What  reasons  do  you  assign  for  supporting  by 
both  time  and  money  the  Foreign  Work  of  the  Young 
Men’s  Christian  Association? 

The  obligation  is  to  extend  the  privileges  and  serv¬ 
ice  of  the  Association  to  men  of  all  races  and  of  all 
lands.  This  obligation,  from  the  standpoint  of  the 
Association,  is  made  the  more  imperative  in  view  of  the 
commands  and  invitations  and  prayers  of  our  Lord  and 
Master.  The  obligation  is  also  imperative  in  view  of 
the  attitude  and  request  of  the  representatives  of  our 
various  denominations  on  the  foreign  field.  The  obliga¬ 
tion  is  also  recognized  in  view  of  the  reaction  on  the 
local  work,  which  is  the  result  of  the  investment  of 
prayer,  time,  and  money  in  extending  the  Gospel  mes¬ 
sage  to  other  lands. 

2.  What,  in  your  opinion,  have  been  the  strongest 
features  of  the  Foreign  Work  as  presented  in  the  past? 

a.  The  imperative  need. 

b.  The  demand  by  Christian  leaders  on  the  field. 

c.  The  demand  by  representative  non-Christians 
and  their  cooperation,  financial,  and  other. 

d.  The  personnel  of  our  Association  foreign 
secretaries. 

e.  The  large  and  practical  results. 

f.  The  visitation  of  foreign  secretaries  on  fur¬ 
lough  to  present  the  work  to  our  men. 

3.  What  have  been  the  weakest  features? 

7 


I  do  not  know  that  I  have  any  criticism  to  make 
along  this  line. 

4.  What  criticisms  and  suggestions  would  you  make? 
I  do  not  believe  I  have  any  criticisms  or  suggestions, 

aside  from  the  approval  of  the  general  lines  of  coopera¬ 
tion  which  have  heretofore  been  used. 

5.  What  have  been  the  chief  causes  of  success  in  your 
Foreign  Work  program  in  Chicago? 

a.  A  steady  campaign  of  education. 

b.  Direct  appeal  to  men  who  are  able  to  give 
quite  substantial  subscriptions. 

c.  The  assuming  of  a  definite  obligation  by  each 
of  our  departments. 

d.  A  permanent  organization  within  each  de¬ 
partment  for  the  purpose  of  securing  a  For¬ 
eign  Work  constituency. 

6.  From  your  experience  and  observation,  what  has 
been  the  chief  cause  of  failure? 

Lack  of  continuous  effort  in  educating  our  constitu¬ 
ency. 

L.  Wilbur  Messer 
General  Secretary 


HOW  THE  FOREIGN  WORK  HELPS 
THE  CURRENT  EXPENSE  BUDGET 

The  satisfactory  financial  condition  of  a  local  Asso¬ 
ciation  may  be  due  to  prosperity,  good  work  accom¬ 
plished,  and  good  promotion  plans.  But  if  an  Associa¬ 
tion  has  made  a  large  investment  in  promoting  Foreign 
Work,  naturally  it  has  the  right  to  feel  that  a  part 
of  its  local  prosperity  is  a  fulfilment  of  the  scriptural 
promise,  “There  is  that  scattereth  and  yet  increaseth.” 

In  March,  1916,  as  a  result  of  a  special  canvass, 

8 


Buffalo  pledged  over  $12,000  to  this  Foreign  Work 
as  compared  with  the  $5,600  contributed  the  previous 
year.  Personally,  I  believe  that  that  success  helped 
to  produce  our  other  remarkable  experience  in  a  later 
financial  campaign,  April  15th  to  May  15th.  Those 
were  thirty  red-letter  days,  for  the  Buffalo  Associa¬ 
tion  closed  the  books  of  its  ten  branches  without  a 
deficit  for  the  year  ending  with  April  30th.  But  to 
make  this  possible  it  was  necessary  to  collect  $35,600 
in  contributions,  $11,000  of  which  were  secured  during 
the  month  of  April. 

On  May  6th,  an  unexpected  gift  of  $12,000  enabled 
the  Central  Branch  to  pay  the  balance  on  its  mortgage. 
Now  all  of  the  six  buildings  owned  by  the  Buffalo 
Association  are  without  mortgage  indebtedness.  Dur¬ 
ing  four  other  days  of  that  same  month  200  workers, 
without  newspaper  publicity,  secured  1,825  subscrip¬ 
tions  aggregating  $36,181. 

We  certainly  feel  that  the  larger  interest  taken  in 
the  Foreign  Work  helped  materially  to  create  an  Asso¬ 
ciation  atmosphere,  making  possible  this  splendid  finan¬ 
cial  support  of  our  Buffalo  work.  During  1916  Buffa- 
lonians  will  contribute  over  $40,000  to  Association 
enterprises  outside  of  their  own  city,  which  is  more 
than  will  be  required  for  the  local  work. 

There  is  no  doubt  in  my  mind  but  that  a  sympathetic, 
progressive,  and  generous  consideration  of  the  Foreign 
Work  has  helped  to  strengthen  our  local  finances. 

A.  H.  Whitford 

General  Secretary 


9 


HOW  ASHEVILLE  STARTED 


The  Asheville  Association  had  never  had  a  part  in  the 
Foreign  Work,  though  I  had  long  wished  that  we  might. 
The  Foreign  Work  Department  wished  to  send  repre¬ 
sentatives  here  to  put  on  a  Foreign  Work  campaign. 
The  matter  was  brought  before  our  directors  and  they 
turned  it  down  flatly.  Finally,  finding  that  Messrs. 
White  and  Fenn  were  coming  to  the  Carolinas,  our 
directors  decided  to  let  them  come  here  as  an  educa¬ 
tional  proposition  pure  and  simple,  with  the  distinct 
understanding  that  no  campaign  was  to  be  put  on. 

Messrs.  White  and  Fenn  came,  spoke  at  the  church 
services,  our  men’s  meeting  and  then  to  our  directors. 
Right  then  and  there  our  directors  decided  unanimously 
to  raise  $1,200  and  have  our  own  foreign  representa¬ 
tive. 

They  went  to  work  at  once  and  were  surprised  at  the 
ready  response  they  received.  We  have  already  raised 
$900  and  the  other  $300  will  be  raised  one  day  next 
month.  My  advice  would  be  to  have  representatives 
come  in  and  present  the  matter;  after  that  I  believe 
any  Association  will  find  it  easy  to  raise  the  money. 

Ed.  B.  Beown 

General  Secretary 


10 


HOW  TITUSVILLE  SECURED  $2,000 


In  1915  we  raised  $1,200  for  the  support  of  a  single 
man  by  appealing  to  twelve  or  fourteen  of  the  larger 
givers  of  Titusville,  Pennsylvania.  During  the  winter 
we  selected  our  representative,  and,  as  he  was  married, 
we  undertook  to  raise  $2,000  this  year  toward  his  sup¬ 
port.  We  had  hoped  to  have  Mr.  Eddy  or  Mr.  Carter 
visit  us  in  May  and  arouse  interest  in  the  work  among 
our  members.  However,  it  was  impossible  for  either 
one  to  come  here,  and  Mr.  Tener  and  Mr.  Munson  came. 
A  supper  was  given  at  the  Association,  attended  by 
some  seventy-five  or  eighty  men,  at  which  Mr.  Tener 
and  Mr.  Munson  spoke  of  the  work  being  done  in  for¬ 
eign  countries.  On  Sunday  morning  they  spoke  in  dif¬ 
ferent  churches,  and  on  Sunday  evening  a  union  service 
in  the  Presbyterian  Church  was  addressed  by  both  men. 
The  following  day  was  given  over  to  calling  on  the 
men  who  in  the  meetings  seemed  to  be  interested,  and 
upon  others  who  are  accustomed  to  give  to  missionary 
objects. 

We  had  no  difficulty  in  obtaining  nearly  fifty  sub¬ 
scriptions  ranging  from  $300  down  to  $1.  Of  course, 
a  very  large  part  of  the  total  was  made  up  by  the 
larger  subscriptions,  $1,600  being  raised  in  amounts  of 
$50  and  more. 

We  try  to  sustain  the  interest  by  sending  literature 
on  the  subject  as  often  as  possible.  We  have  dis¬ 
tributed  copies  of  the  August  number  of  Association 
Men  and  will  soon  distribute  a  copy  of  our  secretary’s 
quarterly  report,  which  reached  us  a  short  time  ago. 

11 


I  believe  the  strongest  point  of  this  movement  is  the 
personal  touch  in  having  our  own  representative.  It 
is  much  easier  to  raise  money  for  such  a  purpose  when 
we  know  just  where  it  is  going,  and  when  we  hear 
directly  of  the  actual  results  of  our  giving. 

E.  O.  Emerson,  Jr. 

President 


HOW  ERIE  PROMOTES  INTERCESSION 

The  Twenty-Four  Hour  A  Day  Club  of  the  Erie, 
Pa.,  Association  impress  upon  the  membership  of  the 
Club  the  four-fold  obligation  to  know,  to  go,  to  send, 
to  pray,  and  it  believes  that  now  abideth  Knowing,  Go¬ 
ing,  Sending,  Praying,  and  the  greatest  of  these  is 
Praying. 

“We  can  do  nothing  until  we  have  prayed,”  and 
“Without  me  ye  can  do  nothing,”  are  two  of  its  mottoes. 

To  promote  prayer  and  the  spirit  of  prayer  among 
the  members  of  the  Club  there  are  issued: 

1.  A  Prayer  Card,  on  fine  bristol  board  with  the  fol¬ 
lowing  features : 

a.  It  has  a  cut  of  the  Club’s  representative. 

b.  It  has  a  short  sketch  of  his  life  and  work. 

c.  It  has  the  names  of  the  officers  of  the  Club. 

d.  It  has  the  obligations  of  the  Club  to  Know- 
Go-Send-Pray  and  a  word  of  explanation 
about  each. 

e.  It  has  a  definite  subject  for  prayer  for  each 
day  of  the  week,  all  referring  to  some  phase 
of  the  Foreign  Work. 

f.  It  has  a  punched  hole  (an  important  detail) 

12 


r 


with  the  suggestive  imprint  beneath:  “Hang 
this  in  your  room.” 

2.  A  Bible  Prayer  Slip,  on  very  thin  (but  good) 
tinted  paper,  to  place  in  the  Bible  as  a  suggestion  when¬ 
ever  the  Book  is  opened. 

This  slip  contains  the  prayer  topics  for  the  week 
which  are  on  the  prayer  card.  The  slip  should  be 
tinted  that  it  may  contrast  slightly  with  the  white 
pages  of  the  Bible  and  be  the  more  readily  brought 
to  notice.  The  tint  adds  to  its  effectiveness. 

3.  The  above  card  and  slip  are  also  used  for  inserts 
in  letters,  and  are  distributed  again  and  again  at  meet¬ 
ings  of  the  Club  and  are  enclosed  with  reports  of  our 
work  on  the  field. 

Prayer  is  also  prompted  b}r  remembering  our  man 
and  the  work  in  public  prayer  in  our  religious  gather¬ 
ings  and  Bible  classes,  not  regularly,  but  when  some 
member  of  the  Club  is  moved  to  pray  in  the  conference 
or  in  the  public  gatherings  of  the  Club  and  the  Associa¬ 
tion  for  the  man  who  helps  us  to  work  twenty-four 
hours  a  day. 

Finally:  “Not  as  though  we  had  already  attained” 
— but  we  strive  after  promoting  the  spirit  of  prayer 
and  missions  in  our  membership,  and  it  is  bearing  fruit. 

Hermon  E.  Eldredge 
Religious  Work  Secretary 


13 


HOW  DAYTON  ENLISTED  THE 
DORMITORY  MEN 


A  few  of  our  loyal  workers  were  struggling  against 
the  tension  of  those  clays  when  the  presidential  elec¬ 
tion  was  in  doubt,  to  get  the  $2,000  needed  to  complete 
our  Foreign  Work  budget  for  the  year.  W.  R.  Stew¬ 
art,  Dayton’s  representative  from  Nanking,  and  F.  J. 
Nichols,  of  the  International  Committee,  were  helping. 

On  Wednesday,  November  8th,  Mr.  Nichols  and  our 
religious  work  secretary,  Mr.  Duckwall,  came  to  me 
at  noon  and  proposed  a  campaign  in  the  dormitory  to 
raise  $300  or  $400.  Mr.  Nichols  was  to  leave  that 
night  and  Mr.  Stewart  could  only  give  us  one  evening 
of  his  time.  I  listened  in  silence,  for  I  knew  it  couldn’t 
be  done. 

At  five  o’clock  I  began  to  think  I’d  better  try  it, 
so  began  to  catch  a  few  dependable  residents  as  they 
came  in  and  invite  them  to  take  supper  together  to 
meet  Mr.  Nichols.  A  dozen  responded  and  we  put  it 
up  to  them.  There  wasn’t  much  enthusiasm,  but  the 
three  floors  were  pretty  evenly  represented  and  all 
seemed  willing  to  help.  Leaders  were  appointed  for 
each  floor  and  they  adjourned  to  another  room  where 
it  was  decided  upon  their  suggestion  that  $400  be  the 
goal,  and  that  each  floor  be  apportioned  a  definite 
amount:  fourth,  $100;  fifth,  $150;  sixth,  $150.  The 
only  other  step  taken  that  night  was  presentation  of 
the  plan  to  Him  whose  cause  it  is. 

On  Thursday  the  leaders  had  enlisted  workers  and  se- 

14 


cured  their  lists  of  names.  I  was  in  my  room  preparing 
for  the  evening  talk  when  the  man  who  was  heading  the 
sixth  floor,  a  fellow  of  ordinary  means,  came  in  and  in 
all  modesty  offered  this  proposition:  he  would  start 
his  floor  with  $25 ;  he  would  give  a  bonus  of  $25  to  the 
first  floor  to  reach  its  goal,  and  a  second  bonus  of  $25 
if  the  $400  was  reached! 

At  the  regular  Dormitory  Supper  that  evening  Mr. 
Stewart  showed  his  slides  of  China  and  spoke  briefly 
about  the  work.  The  general  secretary  gave  a  few 
words  of  encouragement  and  I  put  in  my  plea,  using  the 
announcement  of  the  bonus  as  the  climax.  That  night 
at  one  o’clock  I  had  the  word  from  the  fifth  floor  leader 
that  their  goal  had  been  reached,  so  I  verified  the  cards 
and  awarded  the  bonus.  The  other  two  floors  were 
slower,  but  by  Monday  of  the  following  week  the  goal 
was  assured,  and  at  the  Dormitory  Supper  Thursday 
I  was  able  to  announce  $429.70  as  the  total.  The  im¬ 
possible  had  been  done  once  more! 

Personally  I  did  not  secure  a  single  subscription. 
The  appeal  seemed  to  be  along  these  lines :  1 .  Associa¬ 
tion  Foreign  Work  is  not  a  piece  of  sentimental  preach¬ 
ing,  but  is  a  work  of  practical  ministry  to  manhood. 
2.  China  is  the  land  of  opportunity  for  service  be¬ 
cause  of:  (a)  The  critical  state  of  its  national  affairs; 
(b)  The  multiplication  of  American  money  when  used 
there;  (c)  The  multiplication  of  the  influence  of  Amer¬ 
ican  manhood  when  placed  in  leadership  there.  3.  Mem¬ 
bers  of  the  Association  should  support  its  world-wide 
outreach  on  general  principles,  but  dormitory  men 
should  do  so  especially  because  they  reap  its  benefits 
in  the  local  work  more  richly  than  any  other  members. 

E.  G.  Thatcher 
Dormitory  Secretary 


15 


FROM  $700  to  $2,000  IN  BRANTFORD 


There  are  several  things  which  might  be  regarded 
as  active  agencies  in  raising  last  year’s  contribution, 
which  was  $700  in  round  figures,  to  the  amount  of 
$2,000. 

When  our  good  friend  J.  Howard  Crocker  was  home 
on  furlough  from  China,  he  met,  at  a  small  informal 
dinner,  a  few  men  who  were  interested  in  his  work.  He 
gave  us  a  very  interesting  talk  which  was  followed  up 
by  a  few  personal  interviews.  The  plan  outlined  by  him 
was  that  three  individuals  should  provide  the  amount 
of  his  salary  ($1,200)  without  affecting  the  old  budget. 
Later  when  Murray  G.  Brooks  and  the  writer  called 
on  the  contributors  we  found  them  very  sympathetic 
and  soon  had  the  $1,200  promised.  Active  agencies 
were :  the  personality  of  Mr.  Crocker :  his  faith  in  God ; 
his  optimism  regarding  his  work ;  the  fine  spirit  of 
Mr.  Brooks ;  prayer. 

I  would  just  like  to  say  a  word  regarding  a  small 
pamphlet  by  John  R.  Mott,  “Intercessors  the  Primary 
Need.”  I  have  been  much  impressed  by  this  little  book¬ 
let,  a  number  of  which  have  been  distributed  to  mem¬ 
bers  of  our  board  and  others.  I  would  suggest  that 
if  it  be  possible  this  pamphlet  receive  wide  circulation, 
as  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  intercessory  prayer 
would  solve  many  of  our  financial  and  other  difficulties. 

J.  F.  Schultz 
General  Secretary 


16 


HOW  DENVER  INTRODUCED  THE 
FOREIGN  SECRETARY  TO  HIS 
CONSTITUENCY 


When  it  had  been  determined  that  the  Denver  Asso¬ 
ciation  was  to  undertake  to  stand  back  of  General 
Secretary  Walter  C.  Mayer,  of  Manila,  and  was  to  be 
responsible  for  his  budget,  we  began  at  once  to  plan 
the  development  of  an  adequate  constituency.  Through 
correspondence  with  the  Foreign  Department  of  the  In¬ 
ternational  Committee  we  found  that  former  General 
Secretary  W.  A.  Tener  and  Senor  Teodoro  Yangco, 
president  of  the  Filipino  Association  in  Manila,  could 
spend  some  time  with  us. 

Senor  Yangco  and  Mr.  Tener  arrived  on  an  early 
morning  train  on  Thursday.  At  eleven  o’clock  they 
spoke  to  forty  members  of  the  Student  Association  at 
Denver  University.  At  12:15  they  were  guests  of 
honor  and  spoke  before  the  Rotary  Club  at  their 
luncheon  attended  by  149.  At  1 :40  they  spoke  before 
the  student  assembly  of  our  own  Association  schools. 
At  2  :30  they  went  on  a  tour  of  the  city  as  the  guests 
of  President  Sweet.  Seven-thirty  found  them  meeting 
with  the  men  of  the  Washington  Park  District  and  talk¬ 
ing  to  them  about  our  work  in  Manila.  At  nine  o’clock 
both  of  them  spoke  on  “Athletics  in  the  Far  East,”  to 
a  large  crowd  at  an  exhibition  in  our  gymnasium. 

Friday  morning  at  nine  o’clock  they  met  for  prayers 
and  conference  with  our  secretarial  staff.  From  ten 
o’clock  until  noon  they  were  addressing  the  students 

17 


of  East,  Manual,  and  North  Denver  High  Schools. 
At  12:15  they  were  the  guests  of  honor  at  the  regular 
weekly  luncheon  of  the  Denver  Civic  and  Commercial 
Association,  where  Senor  Yangco  delivered  a  formal 
address  on  “Trade  Conditions  in  the  Orient.” 

Friday  afternoon  was  spent  in  making  personal  calls 
upon  members  of  the  board  of  directors,  and  on  past 
and  prospective  contributors  to  our  Foreign  Work 
budget.  At  eight  o’clock  a  conference  with  past,  pres¬ 
ent,  and  prospective  givers  in  the  parlors  of  the  Brown 
Palace  Hotel  was  followed  by  the  organization  of  The 
Twenty-Four  Hour  A  Day  Club.  The  entire  day  Sat¬ 
urday  was  spent  in  making  personal  calls  and  further¬ 
ing  the  organization  of  the  Club. 

Sunday  was  another  full  day,  beginning  with  a 
breakfast  with  dormitory  men  at  eight  o’clock  in  the 
morning.  Mr.  Tener  spoke  in  one  of  the  churches  at 
eleven  o’clock.  At  three  o’clock  a  boys’  meeting  was 
held  where  both  visitors  spoke,  as  they  did  at  the  men’s 
meeting  at  3:30.  Senor  Yangco,  having  been  called  to 
Washington  on  important  business,  left  on  an  early 
evening  train,  but  Mr.  Tener  remained  to  speak  in 
Trinity  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  the  evening. 

Before  he  sailed  on  August  10th  we  had  a  brief  visit 
from  Mr.  Mayer  which  was  made  the  occasion  for  his 
addressing  the  members  of  the  Twenty-Four  Hour  A 
Day  Club,  and  for  such  personal  calls  upon  important 
contributors  as  time  permitted. 

As  the  result  of  the  visits  of  these  men  sufficient  funds 
were  subscribed  to  warrant  the  Denver  Association  in 
assuming  the  budget,  and  this  was  subsequently  ap¬ 
proved  by  the  board  of  directors. 

I.  E.  Lute 

General  Secretary 


18 


THE  BROOKLYN  CENTRAL  PLAN 


I.  Preliminary  Work 

1.  Foreign  Work  Committee.  In  organizing  our 
Mexico  City  Committee  we  secured  a  strong  layman 
to  head  up  the  committee  of  fifteen  which  included  all 
the  secretarial  department  heads  and  several  members 
at  large. 

2.  Publicity  Before  the  Campaign.  For  a  month 
preceding  the  campaign,  on  Tuesday  evenings,  stere- 
opticon  talks  were  given  in  the  lobby  on  the  Foreign 
Work  of  the  Association.  This  series,  continued  after 
the  campaign  and  through  the  remainder  of  the  season, 
proved  a  profitable  form  of  publicity  and  education. 

For  several  weeks  special  articles  were  written  up  in 
our  publication  “Brooklyn  Central.” 

On  New  Yrear’s  Day  a  special  exhibit  drew  attention 
to  the  work  being  carried  on  by  the  Mexico  City  Asso¬ 
ciation.  This  was  one  of  the  most  attractive  and 
prominent  exhibits  we  had.  Hundreds  of  people  saw  it 
and  commented  favorably. 

Copies  of  “Foreign  Mail”  were  sent  to  the  Committee 
of  Management  and  to  the  Foreign  Work  Committee. 

A  selling-talk  leaflet  was  gotten  out  for  the  use  of 
our  solicitors,  and  a  reprint  of  the  story  in  “Brooklyn 
Central”  was  provided  in  pamphlet  form. 

A  speaking  staff  was  organized  to  present  the  Mexico 
City  work  in  the  Physical  and  Educational  Depart¬ 
ments,  and  to  groups  in  the  lobby. 

3.  Organization.  The  whole  Association  was  en¬ 
listed,  every  department  being  represented  on  the  com- 

19 


mittee.  The  $4,500  to  be  raised  was  apportioned 
among  the  departments. 

Each  department  appointed  a  strong  team  of  workers 
and  planned  the  campaign  for  its  own  field. 

A  selected  list  of  names  was  prepared  on  duplicate 
cards  for  use  by  the  Business  Men’s  Committee.  Cards 
were  also  prejDared  for  the  dormitory  team  which  was 
organized  by  floors. 

4.  Setting-up  Dinner.  The  invitations  to  this  dinner 
on  Friday  evening  preceding  the  campaign  week,  went 
out  in  the  names  of  the  Chairman  of  the  Committee  of 
Management  and  the  Chairman  of  the  Foreign  Work 
Committee.  The  latter  paid  the  expenses  of  the  dinner. 
The  Chairman  of  the  Committee  presided.  Ninety-two 
men  were  present,  including  members  of  the  Committee 
of  Management,  secretaries,  committees  of  all  depart¬ 
ments  and  members  of  the  various  teams.  The  speakers 
were  our  Branch  Chairman,  Mr.  Graham,  Mr.  Bab¬ 
cock  of  Mexico  City,  Dr.  Caturegli,  the  Mexican 
Consul,  and  Mr.  Colton  of  the  Foreign  Department. 
At  the  dinner  it  was  announced  that  two  $500  condi¬ 
tional  subscriptions  had  been  made.  After  the  dinner, 
campaign  material  was  furnished  the  various  teams. 

5.  Prayer.  Special  prayer  was  continually  made 
for  this  campaign  in  meetings  of  the  Committee  of 
Management,  weekly  staff  meetings  of  the  secretaries, 
special  meetings  of  the  Foreign  Work  Committee  and 
by  groups  of  dormitory  men.  In  fact,  throughout  the 
whole  campaign  the  prayer  spirit  was  much  in  evidence. 

II.  The  Campaign 

1.  Organization.  Each  department  was  fully  organ¬ 
ized  to  carry  on  its  own  work  in  its  own  way.  A 

20 


selected  list  had  been  prepared  of  names  of  persons  to  be 
seen  for  subscriptions. 

2.  The  Budget.  Each  department  was  assigned  its 
pro  rata  share  of  the  total  amount  to  be  raised.  The 
final  result  was  as  follows : 


Cash  and  Number  of 
Pledges  Contributors 


Dormitory . i .  $750.00  302 

Employment  Department .  107.50  7 

Social  and  Membership  Department  300.00  52 

Educational  . 300.00  134 

Business  .  210.20  26 

Physical  .  400.00  53 

Business  Men’s  Committee .  2,250.00  9 

Religious  Work  Committee .  421.00  36 


$4,738.70  619 


In  order  to  raise  the  $4,500  it  seemed  necessary  to 
have  at  least  four  $500  gifts.  These  were  secured. 

3.  Publicity  During  the  Campaign.  Sunday,  Janu¬ 
ary  16th,  was  observed  as  Mexico  City  Day.  At  the 
men’s  meeting  in  the  auditorium  the  Foreign  Work  was 
presented  by  C.  D.  Hurrey  of  the  International  Com¬ 
mittee,  and  E.  C.  Aguirre,  physical  director  of  the 
Mexico  City  Association.  A  special  letter  was  read 
from  Dr.  Alfredo  Caturegli,  the  Mexican  Consul  Gen¬ 
eral  in  New  York  City. 

E.  C.  Aguirre  gave  an  illustrated  lecture  in  the  audi¬ 
torium  following  the  regular  men’s  meeting. 

During  the  campaign  week  a  stereopticon  lecture  was 
given  each  evening  in  the  lobby,  on  the  Foreign  Work 
in  various  countries. 

A  special  number  of  Brooklyn  Central  with  the  Mexi- 

21 


can  flag  on  the  cover  explained  in  story  and  pictures 
the  work  of  the  Mexico  City  Association. 

The  lobby  was  decorated  with  Mexican  and  United 
States  flags  by  a  professional  decorating  company.  A 
large  Mexican  flag  was  displayed  on  one  of  the  flag 
poles  outside  the  building.  All  departmental  bulletin 
boards  throughout  the  building  were  decorated  and 
used. 

A  large  oilcloth  bulletin  in  a  prominent  place  in  the 
lobby  recorded  the  progress  of  the  campaign  by  depart¬ 
ments  and  teams.  Over  this  an  electric  sign  flashed 
“$4,500  for  Mexico  City.” 

4.  Report  Dinners  were  held  on  Monday,  Wednesday, 
and  Friday  of  the  campaign  week,  at  which  team  chair¬ 
men  made  their  reports  and  lists  were  checked  up. 

5.  The  Business  Office  handled  all  of  the  business  de¬ 
tails  of  the  campaign.  They  received  subscriptions 
from  the  chairmen  of  the  various  teams  in  a  special 
envelope.  Receipts  were  given  to  the  chairmen  and 
also  mailed  to  each  subscriber.  At  the  same  time  each 
subscriber  received  the  annual  report  of  Secretary  Wil¬ 
liamson  of  the  Mexico  City  Association. 

6.  Material  Used. 

a.  Leaflet  telling  about  the  Mexico  City  work. 

b.  Selling-talk  card  with  instructions. 

c.  Pledge  cards. 

d.  Large  envelopes  for  reports  by  all  solicitors. 

e.  Record  cards  for  permanent  file. 

III.  General  Comments  on  the  Campaign 

1.  The  campaign  had  the  full  endorsement  and 
hearty  backing  of  the  Committee  of  Management. 

2.  The  men  of  all  departments  pulled  together. 

3.  The  goal  of  $4,500  was  sufficiently  large  to  chal- 

22 


lenge  the  interest  and  attention  of  the  whole  Associa¬ 
tion. 

4.  The  organization  was  complete. 

5.  The  pledges  were  payable  in  cash  or  in  thirty  days. 
Most  of  the  amount  was  paid  within  that  time. 

6.  Considerable  publicity  was  given  to  the  campaign 
in  the  local  newspapers. 

7.  The  time  of  year  was  very  favorable,  the  regular 
Association  work  being  well  under  way. 

R.  W.  Brown 

Associate  General  Secretary 


A  FOREIGN  WORK  EXHIBIT 

Just  imagine  yourself  trying  to  interest  a  native  son 
of  India  in  a  world-series  baseball  game — when  the 
modus  operand!  of  bats,  balls,  diamond,  uniforms, 
players,  officials,  and  hilarious  “fans,”  were  mere  words 
— without  “goods”  or  pictures  to  help  you. 

It  is  just  as  difficult  to  get  the  average  Association 
member  to  see  clearly  what  the  Association  is  doing 
in  other  parts  of  the  world  without  pictures  to  aid  you. 
He  cannot  quite  see  how  Chinese  athletes  would  appear 
in  Olympic  games,  or  how  South  American  or  Indian 
students  would  appear  at  a  great  national  conference, 
but  when  he  does  he  is  ready  to  greet  his  far-away 
brother  as  a  neighbor. 

If  you  have  your  own  representative  on  the  foreign 
field,  have  him  furnish  you  with  several  dozen  good  pic¬ 
tures  (not  smaller  than  post  card  size  and  larger  if 
possible)  of  the  Association  activities  and  celebrities — 
pictures  which  because  furnished  by  your  representa- 

23 


tive  are  of  peculiar  interest  to  your  Association  mem¬ 
bers.  With  such  material  in  hand  plan  a  “story”  as 
logical  and  as  interesting  as  possible.  Tell  the  story  on 
charts — using  22  by  28  inch  ten  ply  boards — carefully 
grouping  your  pictures  according  to  subjects. 

Carefully  worded  “interpretations”  of  the  objects 
and  attainments  of  your  particular  Foreign  Work,  with 
interesting  facts  regarding  the  field,  population,  stu¬ 
dent  life,  commercial  and  industrial  data,  etc.,  on 
charts  of  the  same  size,  will  make  a  uniform  exhibit 
which  may  be  so  interestingly  displayed  that  every  man 
who  visits  your  Association  may  become  familiar  with 
the  foreign  extension  message  and  appeal. 

A  large  display,  say  eight  by  ten  feet,  which  will  in¬ 
terpret  the  particular  relation  the  Association  bears 
to  Foreign  Work,  such  as  Boston’s  which  tells  at  a 
glance  the  whole  story,  is  worth  all  such  a  display 
costs,  and  it  is  not  very  expensive. 

Select  the  most  advantageous  spot  in  the  Associa¬ 
tion  building  for  displaying  your  exhibit — of  course, 
one  which  will  catch  the  eyes  of  all  who  enter.  Special 
lighting  facilities  will  help.  Keep  the  arrangement 
fresh  and  it  will  attract  constant  attention. 

If  you  do  not  have  material  available  to  prepare 
an  exhibit,  send  to  the  Foreign  Department  of  the 
International  Committee  for  things  they  have  on  topic¬ 
ally  arranged  subjects. 

A.  B.  Nicholls 

Religious  Work  Secretary 
Boston 


24 


MR.  SECRETARY,  THOU  ART  THE  MAN 


“Is  the  secretary  big  enough  for  the  job?”  After 
all,  it  comes  to  that,  doesn’t  it?  When  I  think  of  the 
years  that  have  passed  and  consider  opportunities  which 
have  been  neglected  by  virtue  of  groundless  apprehen¬ 
sions  or  cowardly  fear,  I  marvel  anew  at  the  wonder¬ 
ful  mercy  and  forgiveness  of  my  God. 

During  many  of  these  twenty-five  years  in  which  I 
was  supposed  to  be  at  least  partially  adequate  for  the 
job  of  a  general  secretary,  my  thought  reached  only 
to  the  boundaries  of  country,  state,  and  city  when  the 
clarion  call  to  world  cooperation  should  have  been  un¬ 
mistakable. 

Many  sins  of  omission  are  undoubtedly  mine,  but 
none  greater  than  that  of  turning  a  partially  deaf  ear 
to  the  insistent  plea  for  help  in  marshalling  local  forces 
of  prayer  and  money  which  have  only  awaited  a  leader¬ 
ship  entirely  within  my  power. 

The  call  of  God  to  the  American  general  secretary 
to  see  to  it  that  business  men  of  vision  and  financial 
possibility  are  brought  face  to  face  with  the  living 
necessities  of  our  work  in  the  lands  beyond  the  seas 
must  no  longer  be  disregarded  on  the  ground  of  local 
need. 

To  assume  that  money  turned  in  this  direction  will 
militate  against  local  development  is  false  reasoning, 
bred  of  the  devil. 

The  Christian  business  men  of  America  eagerly  await 
the  soul  stirring  which  the  stories  of  those  who  have 
returned  to  us  from  their  self-sacrificing  endeavor 
yonder  invariably  transmit.  When  they  receive  it,  do 
they  close  their  pocket-books  to  the  local  call  in  order 
to  respond  to  the  world  appeal  ?  Testimony  proves  the 

25 


reverse.  Why,  then,  this  hesitancy  on  my  part,  my 
brother  secretary,  and  upon  yours,  in  arousing  our¬ 
selves  to  immediate  action?  Is  it  because  we  should 
never  have  been  placed  over  our  present  responsibilities 
on  the  ground  of  incapacity?  Or  is  it  because  we  are 
not  controlled  by  those  inner  spiritual  forces  which 
insist  that  our  full  duty  and  our  entire  power  should 
immediately  become  operative?  If  the  former,  let  us 
give  way  like  honest  men  to  others  who  possess  the 
necessary  capacity.  If  the  latter,  let  us  fall  on  our 
faces  before  Jehovah  and  receive  from  Him  that  vision 
of  His  will  so  necessary  to  those  to  whom  has  been 
entrusted  the  marvelous  leadership  of  forces  beyond  the 
adequate  estimate  of  men. 

In  the  last  analysis  general  secretaries  and  their 
co-laborers  are  the  responsible  factors  of  this  whole 
enterprise.  Upon  us  the  future  burden  rests.  Our  men 
must  first  listen,  then  respond.  We  must  immediately 
see  to  it  that  the  great  story  of  this  open  door  of  op¬ 
portunity  is  told.  Messrs.  Brockman,  Eddy,  Colton, 
Clinton  and  manjr  others  eagerly  await  our  invitation 
to  present  the  facts  to  our  constituents.  Let  us  move 
rapidly,  for  the  day  is  far  spent. 

At  this  moment  I  seem  to  hear  with  all  of  its  tre¬ 
mendous  significance,  as  though  it  were  originally 
spoken  to  me,  “Thou,  therefore,  gird  up  thy  loins  and 
arise  and  speak  unto  them  all  that  I  command  thee. 
Be  not  dismayed  at  their  faces,  lest  I  confound  thee 
before  them,  for  behold  I  have  made  thee  this  dav  a 
defensed  city  and  an  iron  pillar  and  brazen  walls 
against  the  whole  land.  .  .  .  And  they  shall  fight 
against  thee!  But  they  shall  not  prevail  against  thee, 
for  I  am  with  thee,  saith  the  Lord,  to  deliver  thee.” 

A.  H.  Godard 

General  Secretary 


26 


SEVEN  ESSENTIALS  OF  A  LOCAL  FOREIGN  WORK  DEPARTMENT 


27 


HELPFUL  FOREIGN  WORK  LITERATURE 


How  They  Do  It.  Copies,  gratis. 

Foreign  Mail.  Annual  subscription,  25  cents;  in  clubs  of  ten  or 
more,  15  cents  each. 

A  bi-monthly  periodical  of  32  pages,  illustrated. 

Foreign  Mail  Annual.  20  cents;  per  dozen,  $2.00;  per  hundred, 

$10.00. 

The  annual  report  of  the  Foreign  Work,  summarizing  the  achievements  of  the 
year  and  pointing  out  the  opportunities  for  advancement. 

Membership  Support  for  a  Foreign  Post — How  One  Associa¬ 
tion  Gains  and  Holds  It.  By  E.  Graham  Wilson.  Single  copies, 
gratis;  per  dozen,  20  cents;  per  hundred,  $2.00. 

The  story  of  achievement  by  West  Side,  New  York,  extending  over  a  sufficient 
term  of  years  to  attach  to  it  a  value  compelling  attention. 

Christian  Pan-Americanism.  By  P.  A.  Conard.  5  cents;  per 
dozen,  50  cents;  per  hundred,  $3.00. 

Twenty-four  pages  descriptive  of  the  South  American  countries — their  glory, 
power  and  perils,  and  the  operations  of  the  Young  Men’s  Christian  Associ¬ 
ation  against  common  enemies  of  character  and  civilization.  Illustrated. 

Japanese  Men.  By  Galen  M.  Fisher.  15  cents;  per  dozen,  $1.50; 
per  hundred,  $10.00. 

The  story  of  the  successful  work  about  which  Baron  Shibusawa  said,  “Con¬ 
sidering  the  youth  and  the  limited  resources  of  the  Young  Men’s  Christian 
Association  in  Japan,  it  has  accomplished  much  already,  and  I  believe  it  de¬ 
serves  the  hearty  backing  of  all  good  men  so  that  it  can  extend  its  activities.” 

A  Year’s  Work  Among  Young  Men  in  China.  15  cents;  per 
dozen,  $1.50;  per  hundred,  $10.00. 

The  inspiring  story  of  the  best  year  of  Association  work  in  China,  a  year  of 
disturbance,  expansion  and  reaping. 

The  Second  City  of  the  British  Empire.  By  B.  R.  Barber. 
5  cents;  per  dozen,  50  cents;  per  hundred,  $3.00. 

A  twenty-page  pamphlet,  illustrated,  describing  Calcutta  and  the  program 
and  achievement  of  the  Young  Men’s  Christian  Association  toward  meeting 
the  moral  and  religious  needs  of  its  youth  and  manhood. 

A  Student  Demonstration  in  World  Brotherhood.  By  E.  T. 
Colton.  10  cents;  per  dozen,  $1.00;  per  hundred,  $5.00. 

An  informing  survey  illustrative  of  present-day  moral  and  religious  conditions 
in  the  student  world,  reviewing  afresh  the  strategy  of  the  Christian  Student 
Movement  and  the  clear  call  to  the  college  men  of  North  America  to  a  larger 
share  in  the  audacious  enterprise. 

Order  from 

The  Foreign  Department,  The  International  Committee 
of  Young  Men’s  Christian  Associations 
124  East  Twenty-eighth  Street,  New  York  City 


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